Translating Sharks’ closing statements

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The Sharks opened the doors their locker room for the last time this season on Friday. Players were made available for interviews, but the most telling comments came from general manager Doug Wilson and coach Todd McLellan, both who in the spotlight with jobs on the line as a result of a first-round series loss to the Los Angeles Kings, who rallied from a 0-3 deficit to become only the fourth team all-time to advance.

Wilson and McLellan’s comments follow, with question asked leading into their comments and my interpretation where needed with some of the answers.

First off, Doug Wilson, who has been the team’s GM since May of 2003:

What did you tell the team on Friday? “What’s said in this room stays in this room. To our organization and to our fans, this is not a nick or a scratch. This is an open wound. When the emotions are raw, the disappointment runs deep and should resonate and live for a long time. I already started the process with decisions we’re going to make.” Translation: Don’t expect the team to stand pat, and we’re not talking about changes around the edges.

Is this team getting a reputation as an underachiever? “We didn’t get it done. Performance speaks. There’s no sugarcoating it. When you’re up 3-0 in a series, you step on their throat and put them away. They came back and were able to buy and establish their game for four games. We played it for three. It’s not good enough. That’s the truth.”

A sense of why that might have happened? “With all due respect to James Sheppard and Matty Irwin, they can’t be your only goal scorers the last three games. You can’t go 0-for-16 on your power play. That’s the way it is. We got beat by a good hockey team, a 100-point team that’s won the Cup. They re-established their game. We all take responsibility. This one should hurt. I do, I feel for our fans and our organization. It should not have happened. We’re going to make decisions going forward. There’s a couple options. Status quo is not one of them.” Translation: Options are 1) fire the GM, 2) fire the coach, 3) fire both, 4) shake up the roster. My guess it’s option 4 by trading at least two top-six established and long-tenured forwards to rebuild the blue line and change the starting goaltender.

Have any decisions been made? “The process has started. Whatever options — it’s not too complicated, they’re pretty easy to figure out — our coaching staff is part of that. My recommendations includes our coaching staff being part of that going forward.” Translation: If McLellan & staff are out the door, Wilson is willing to follow.

What’s the timeline for the decision-making process? “Ten days-to-two weeks, obviously with our ownership group first to be told, and certain players. That will be the process. Make mistakes by having emotions run the day, but in the heart and with the head the right decisions will be made for what’s right for this organization.” Translation: Wilson won’t make an uniformed, emotional decision. The question is whether he’ll be given those 10 days to two weeks.

Have you talked to (owner) Hasso Plattner? “Hasso is at all the games, very passionate. I’ve purposely not talked to Hasso because of the meetings that need to take place and the recommendations needs to be presented to him with the right process being followed. We’re very, very fortunate to have him as an owner. He should be extremely disappointed.”

Did the team get too comfortable with a 3-0 lead? “Talk to me in two weeks. The players will have their opportunity to speak and give their opinion, as will the coaches. I certainly hope that’s not the case because when you play in this league in the Western Conference with teams like that that would be extremely problematic if that is an issue.”

Was the Game 5 performance (3-0 loss at home) a head-scratcher? “I wouldn’t use the term head-scratcher. I’d use more severe terms.” Translation: Wilson’s pissed.

What does the team need to get past Los Angeles? “To perform. There are other teams who have gone through what we’ve gone through. We did it with Detroit, we won Game 7, but the damage is already done. When you go into your next series you’ve already drained the tank. Buying into how you need to play is the only way you can win in this league. It’s not complex what wins in this business. We’ll get to the bottom of it.” Translation: The only way to make a long postseason run in today’s game is to take advantage of your opportunities and not make life more difficult. The Sharks didn’t learn their lessons from the past.

How do you not rush to decisions because of emotion? “The hurt on this one, it resonates so deep, I don’t think it should go away. I don’t want it to go away for anybody. Because getting it done and addressing it will be done on the ice. Lip service is a waste of time.”

You realize fans and the media won’t let it go away? “They shouldn’t. The relationship with your fan base runs so deep, especially the fan base we have. That’s what you want, that’s what is unique about this game. That’s why this hurts so bad. We will make the decisions to make it right. It can’t be done in 24 hours, and it shouldn’t be done in 24 hours.”

Why couldn’t the top guys get it done in the series? “We will dig into that really deep. No chance of ever using injuries as an excuse. Because if they’re out, I can guarantee we’ve got guys who can step right in. Don’t let that creep in anywhere. People talk about guys being ‘good guys.’ Jonathan Toews is a good guy, Anze Kopitar is a good guy. It’s about performing up to your capability when it’s on the line. We will get into that with different people, and we will make decisions accordingly.” Translation: Not hard to read between the lines here. Joe Thornton is thought of universally as a good guy, and he is, but he didn’t lead by example over the last four games. Have the Toronto Maple Leafs inquired if he’ll waive his no-trade clause yet?

Do you have the flexibility considering the salary cap and existing contracts to make the necessary changes? “We have flexibility because of the plan that we started last year. The decisions that will be made are the guys who played the way we need to play, we have younger players who have really experienced certain things and have stepped up. Some of our best players were our younger guys. So we’re not starting from scratch. We have key young players in key positions. When we decide the decision we’re going to make, it’s not a 6-7-year thing it’s because of what we started last year prior to the trade deadline.” Translation: Tomas Hertl, Matt Nieto and Alex Stalock are in line for more responsibility next season.

Now for McLellan, who finished his sixth year as Sharks coach after being hired in 2008:

How do you sum up the series? “I spoke about this at my press conference after the game and my opinion hasn’t changed one bit. In fact I’m more frustrated today than I was even at that point if you can believe it. We got beat in a number of different areas. The core of their group stepped up and performed at a very high level. Ours fell off a little bit. My disappointment is as much or greater now as it was at that moment.” Translation: The Kings’ best players outperformed the Sharks’ top players. Again.

Sharks coach Todd McLellan

The frustration of seeing what went wrong, is that something you can coach in the middle of a game? “We saw it throughout the series. We’re not talking about Game 7 right now, we’re talking about the entire series. Did we have the skill level and personnel to correct the mistakes we were making? Of course we did. We proved that throughout the year. We weren’t capable of doing it, we didn’t get it done, it’s as simple as that.”

What can you share with any final meetings today with the team? “(Doug) made it very clear in how disappointed he was in the whole organization, not just the players, (it) included all of the staff. Anything up and anything down. And that’s the way it should be.” Translation: He wouldn’t be surprised by any change.

What do you feel about your status? “Again, my comments the other day matched what and how I felt. I took responsibility for the performance, or lack of the team. With accepting the role as coach you accept that responsibility. Now, you can’t play, which also comes into play. Like I said, their core was much better than ours.” Translation: He understands he’s on the hot seat. He’s not going to let the team off the hook, as he shouldn’t.

Have you and Doug Wilson had a 1-on-1 conversation? “Yep. Not about my future, no. And I don’t have anything to say there. I don’t make those decisions. You’re asking the wrong guy.”

What can the fans look forward to in terms of change next year? “At this point I can’t tell you. I don’t know.” Translation: Those are decisions to be made after the ones about the GM and coach.

What has to change? “I don’t think we’re prepared to answer those questions yet. We can’t keep what we have, at least keep the same approach. Something has to change, and it’s two years in a row losing to that team. That’s a very good team, too, let me make that very clear. And in fact, when we thought we had improved our group, which I believe we did, we got a weaker performance than the year prior.” Translation: On the same page as Wilson, something big has to happen to the core of the roster, no nibbling around the edges again.